Label wiping machine



e. l, i953 c. c. GERHARDT LABEL WIPING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Tiled Aug. ll, 1953 CHA/e4 Es 65e/mear I v Cttorneg Dec. l, i953 c. c. GERHARDT 2,661,109

LABEL WIPING MACHINE:

Filed Aug, ll, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 1, 1953 c. c. GERHARDT LABEL WIPING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. ll, 1.953

INVENTOR @MRM-"5 C @EnH/mor ATTORNEY llaterited ec. l, 1953 Nite STATE riem om@ 3 Claims. l

This application is a continuation-impart of two co-pending applications, namely, application Serial Number 193,566, led November 2, 1950, now abandoned and application Serial Number 311,484, filed September 25, 1952, now abandoned.

This invention relates to machines Ifor applying labels to filled containers such as bottles of beerfetc., and more particularly to improvements in the means for effecting the wiping of the label,

previously supplied with an adhesive along marginal parts thereof, into smooth adhering relation to the bottle or other container.

Label applying machines, of the type to which the invention is particularly directed, as her'etol fore constructed comprise feed conveyors by 1^ which the iilled bottles to be labeled are delivered to the intake side of the machine, where they are spaced by a star wheel or other suitable means so that a number of bottles or other containers may travel simultaneously through a plurality of label applying mechanisms, the bottles being engaged by iingers or other suitable moving means which force them through the label applying means and deliver them to a discharge conveyor which takes them to the packaging machine. As the bottles or other containers, of transverse curvature, pass through the labeling mechanism, pickers take labels from the label boxes, bring them into glue receiving relation to a glue transier roller that supplies the marginal edges of the labels with glue or other suitable adhesive and then bring the labels into position to have their middle portions pressed against the bottles or other containers by label holders that travel with the bottles or other containers until the wiping of the labels into adhering relation to the oontainers has been completed, after which the holding means is moved out of the Way.

In such label applying machines, as heretofore constructed, the wiping of the labels into adhering relation to the containers has been effected by rubber wipers in the form of rubber strips projecting into the path oi travel of the label with the container from both sides of said path. Difficulty has been experienced in obtaining uniform wiping results with the rubber wipers or, in other words, in always getting a smooth application of the label and rm adhesion thereof to the bottle or other container. Apparently one of the reasons for this is that the rubber strip, after it has been in use for a time, does not present a wiping surface to the label that insures pressure oi the label against the container at all points of the surface of the label. lAnother reason is that the rubber tends so to adhere -to its holder that it is diiiicult to reverse 'the strip as should be done occasionally to prevent the strip from Vsetting into 'the -form or its deiiection from the initial straight line lprojection into the path of travel 'of the `containers, 'thus reducing its wiping eiect. lThird, the effective life of these rubber wipers is comparatively short.

rihe present invention has for its object the substitution for the rubber strip wipers heretofore employed in label applying machines of the above described type of improved wipers which are ynot only longer ylivedthan the wipers heretofore employed, but which at'all times are more effective in their label wiping operation. To'this end the invention aims to substitute, for the single wiping action of the rubber strip wipers heretofore employed, lthe action ot'suocessive banks of bristles projecting from both sides'into the path of travel 'of the label with the container in such manner and to vsuch an extent that each succeeding bank of bristles begins its wiping action before the wiping action of the preceding bank has been completed and that thus,*instead of a single and not always satisfactory wipe of a rubber lstrip on each side of the label holder, the label is'subjected to the'pr'e-wiping action on each side of the rst bank or two of bristles before the "container is centered on the wiper, the intermediate and positive action of several banks at once when the containeris centered 'on the wiper and the post-'wiping action of several banks in succession as the container moves past its centered relation to the wiper.

An object of the invention is the mounting of the successive banks lof bristles on a removable holder of such design and construction that not only can the wipers be completely reversed so that any tendency of the bristles to set in one direction can be neutralized but the wipers may be quickly and easily adjusted vertically to adapt them to labels of different sizes and different locations on the containersf Another object of thel present invention is to provide neck label wiping means, particularly suitable for use by label applying ln'iaehines of the Ermold type, which will permit the ready adjustment of such neck label wiping to container necks of a wide variety v'of both longitudinal and transverse contours.

Still another feature of the invention is the construction of neck label wiping bristle holders so lthat the holders for bristles projecting into the paths of iaterany adjacent containers may te mounted upon a common vertically adjustable clip-carried clamping stud 'and yet have capacity for the angular and bodily adjustments required to adapt the wipers to varying neck shapes and styles.

Other objects, important features and advantages of the invention, to which reference has not hereinabove specifically been directed, will appear hereinafter when the following description and claims are considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a detail elevation looking from the rear of the wiping mechanism, this view showing the bottle moving mechanism as it is moving the bottles with the labels held in position thereon by the label holders into wiping engagement with the successive banks of bristles;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig-- ure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail elevation of the bottle wiping mechanism after the bottles have advanced far enough so that the bristles of the wipers are in the position shown in the sectional view or Figure 5;

Figure 4 is a section on the line ll of Fig. 3;

Figure 5 is a section on'the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Figure 6 is a rear elevation of the wiping mechanism showing a modified neck label wiping apparatus;

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the wiping mechanism showing how the modified neck label wiping apparatus is angularly positioned relative to the bottle neck;

Figure 8 is a partially sectioned top plan View of the apparatus shown in Figure 6, and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of one of the modified bottle neck wiping brushes employed in the crossbars 8 extending across the machine between sprocket chains I constituting endless carriers for the crossbars 8 and pins 6, these chains passing over driven sprocket wheels l2 on a driving shaft lll and over idler sprocket wheels on an idler shaft not shown. The travel of the pins 6 is suicient to move the bottles 2 through the label applying and wiping mechanisms to the discharge conveyor and the pins are so located that they preferably do not project laterally any substantial amount or at all beyond the major diameter of the bottle 2.

Prior to reaching the wiping mechanism, now to be described, a label is taken by a picker for each bottle, not shown, carried into operative relation to a glue transfer roll, also not shown, and then brought into such relation to the bottle that it may be held thereagainst during the wiping operation by a label holder l which engages the label along its middle line. In the illustrative machine a label is also applied to the neck of the bottle and this label is also brought into position, by suitable picker mechanism not shown, to be engaged by a neck label holder i8 likewise engaging the neck label along its middle line. These label holders are carried on depending arms brought into position after the pickers have operated to pick the labels from supplies thereof, pass them through the glue applying mechanism and place them in position to be engaged by the` holders I6 and i8. The arms 42l) 4 remain in label holding relation to the bottles 2 until each bottle has passed through the associated wiping mechanism. It will be seen that the holder I6 is carried on headed pins 22 sliding through the rod or arm 20 and that springs 2l. surrounding the pins 22 and confined between the rod or arm 20 and the holder l5 maintain the holder pressed against the bottle. The holder I8 is carried on an arm 26 swinging from a gooseneck 28 on a slide 3D adjustable on the arm 20 and a transverse slide 32, pivotally connected at 34 to the arm 26, is urged by a spring 36 to hold the holder i8 against the neck of the bottle 2, the movement of this slide 32 being limited by an adjustable stop screw 38.

The wipers of the present invention, as hereinabove pointed out, comprise successive banks of bristles projecting from both sides into the path of travel of the labels with the bottles and, as herein shown, the bristles that effect the wiping action on the body or large part of the bottle are mounted upon holders carried by depending rods of substantially square cross section, the lower ends of which are above the path of travel of the crossbars 8 so as not to interfere with the movement thereof. The intermediate rods 40 each carry H-shaped bristle holders 42. One base of the H carries bristles 44 projecting into the path of travel of one bottle 2 and the other base of the H carries bristles i4 projecting into the path of travel of another bottle 2. These H bases, as shown in Fig. 5, are of such width that they accommodate ve successive banks of bristles each arranged along the path of travel of the bottles. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the number of successive banks of bristles shown. At each end of the machine, where a rod 4G of a cross section corresponding to that of the rods 40 supports the wipers and is connected at both ends to the machine frame, it will be seen that the H-shaped holder l2 is not required since bristles project from only one side of this holder 48 into the path of travel of the end bottle of the line .of bottles passing simultaneously through the machine. The holder 48 is, therefore, of T cross section. Both the holder i2 and the holder 48 are provided in their rod-engaging parts, that is, in the web of the H and the stem of the T, with slots 50 and 52, respectively, there being upper and lower slots in each holder to receive screws 54 by which the holders may be secured in diferent vertically adjusted relations to the rods 40 and correspondingly dierent vertically adjusted relations to the bottles 2.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention, the base portions of the bristle holders 42, as here shown, each carry ve successive rows or banks of bristles, each row being made up of tufts and the tufts `of successive rows being staggered. It will be seen that such an arrangement provides a vast number of individual pressure points in the wipers. For example, in a holder having a base of 31/2 inches in its vertical dimension and 15/8 inches in its transverse dimension, if a size 14 nylon bristle be used, in the neighborhood of 8000 bristles may readily be accommodated.

The machine herein shown is also designedr to apply neck labels to bottles and the wiping mechanism is shown as comprising H-shaped bristle holders 56 for supporting the bristles 5@ that project from the opposite bases of these holders into the paths of movement of two adjacent bottles and T-shaped bristle holders 60 for the two outer bottle paths. These holders 56 and 60, instead of being mounted directly on the rods fl and 46, respectively, are mounted `on adjustable slide blocks $2, secured in adjusted position on the rods by set screws 64, whereby vertical adjustment of the bristles is easily effected. The bristle holders 56 and 60 can be secured to the slides s2 by screws 6e passing through the web portions of the bristle holders, this arrangement permitting easy reversal ofthe holders to prevent setting of the bristles in one direction of deflection.

The illustrated bristle holders 5E and Gil have bases of a width to accommodate ve successive banks or rows of bristles andthe -webs of these bristle holders 56 and SS may be slightly wider than the webs of the bristle holders d2 and 54e in order to support the bristles nearer the neck of the bottle which is, of course, of considerably smaller diameter than is the body of the bottle. It is usually also found desirable to use a stiffer bristle 53 for the neck label wipers than is user for the body label wipers such, for example, as a 20 gauge nylon bristle.

Since the necks of bottles of the type labeled by the illustrated machine are curved both transversely and longitudinally, it is desirable, in order to obtain a uniform wiping action, that the upper end of each succeeding row or bank of bristles be inclined toward the approaching bottle so that the engagement of the bristles with the narrower part of the neck of the bottle will take place substantially simultaneously with the engagement of the bristles lower down with the wider rfa-rt O f the neck of the bottle.. -To this end the if face of the slide 62 against which the web of the bristle holder' is clamped by the screw ii is preferably inclined vertically so that the upper edge of the face is farther from the rod lll or the rod 46 than is the lower edge. This provides or an alloy thereof, each having a web 80, preferit ably integral therewith and projecting perpendicularly thereto from the rear face thereof. Each plate i8 is preferably rectangular in shape and the web t() is preferably located in a plane parallel to two sides of the rectangle and perpendicular to the other two sides.

For supporting the wipers depending rods 4B, of substantially square cross-section, are located between the adjacent bottle paths. On each of the rods le a clip or slide 82 is mounted for vertical adjustment on the rod, a set screw Sii being tapped inte each slide 82 to secure it in any position of vertical adjustment. Each clip or slide has a web engaging face Se lying in a plane perpendicular to the path of travel of the bottles 2 but inclined to the axis of the rod il suiciently to the taper of the bottle neck so that when the neck passes through the wiping mechanism the upper bristles of the wiping brushes will engage the narrow part of the bottle neck at the same time that the lower bristles engage 'the wider part.

Fixed in the slide S2 and projecting from the inclined face 8e in a direction normal thereto is a threaded stud tt, hereinafter sometimes re- 6` ferred to as the clamping stud since it cooperates with a wing nut 88 to clamp one or more webs Si? to the slide 82.

It will be noted that this web 8i) is provided with a stud-receiving slot Sil which fits the stud et snugly in its transverse dimension but has a length to provide a considerable range of adjustment of the wiper brush toward and away from the path `cf travel of the bottle to permit adjustment of the wipers to bottle necks of different diameters. At the same time the slot te, which has its longitudinal dimension normal to the plate it? land to the plane in which the neck engaging ends of the bristles lie when not performing their label-wiping operations, permits adjustment of the wipers to diiferent angular relations to the rods le to adjust them into the most eifective wiping relation to the bottle neck which passes between them, having regard to the taper, contour and other characteristics of the bottle neck. it will be seen that the construction of the wiper mounting makes possible a combined in-and-out and angular adjustment of the brushes and that the inclined face dfi against which the webs 82 are clamped also contributes to making possible the most effective adjustment ci the wipers.

Because each wiper is separately adjustable and therefore requires an attaching web iii of its own, it is preferable where compactness of the label applying machines is desired that the webs of plates i5 which project their bristles into the paths of adjacent bottles be clamped upon a common stud. To make this possible without throwing one or the other out of its proper relation to the machine as a whole the web it is offset from the of symmetry of the plate '5S and brush a whole by the thickness of the web. The adjustable assembly thus made may be reversed, keeping the saine relation of the Webs, to keep the bristles from setting in one direction. This feature is shown in Figures 8 and 9.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the present invention, which provides wipers made up of successive banks or bristles projecting from both sides into the path of travel of a label with a container to which it is to be applied, insures an eliective wiping action not obtainable with Wipers heretofore employed. As hereinabove pointed out, the label is subjected to the wiping action in succession of successive banks of bristles projecting from both sides into the path of travel of the label with the container in such manner and to such an extent that each succeeding bank of bristles begins its wiping action before the wiping action of the preceding bank has been completed. There is thus obtained, instead of a single and not always satisfactory wipe of a rubber strip on each side of the label holder, the pre-wiping action on each side of the label holder of the first bank or two of bristles before the container is centered on the wiper, the intermediate and positive action of several banks at once when the container is centered on the wiper, and the post-wiping action of several banks in succession as the container moves past its centered relation to the wiper.

From the foregoing description it will be seen 'that by reason of the novel construction of the bristle holders with their attaching webs, I not only provide a wiper construction which can readily be reversed but the width of the face of the bristle holder when used in existing machines brings the rst bank of wiping bristles nearer the bottle after the label has been put into position vto be wiped, thus eiecting an earlier wiping engagement with the bottle as it is travelling through the wiping mechanism. Banks of bristles are also located along the path of travel beyond the usual location of the Wipers so that as hereinabove pointed out there is elected a pre-wiping action and intermediate or dead center wiping action and a post-wiping action. This makes the invention particularly useful when used in existing label-applying machines.

l claim:

l. In a label applying machine, the combination with means for moving transversely curved containers to be labeled rectilinearly between intake and discharge points and means for temporarily engaging at intermediate parts thereof and holding against the containers labels to be applied thereto which have been supplied along marginal portions thereof with an adhesive, of means for wiping said labels into smooth adhering relation to the containers, said means comprising successive banks of bristles extending for a substantial distance along and parallel to the paths of travel of the containers and projecting from both sides to like extents into the paths of travel of the labels with the containers, the spacing between successive banks being such that each succeeding bank of bristles begins its wiping action before the wiping action of the preceding bank has been completed, and a plate upon each side of the paths of travel of the containers on which the successive banks of bristles are mounted, said plates having their bristle-sup porting faces parallel to the paths of travel of the containers and said plates intermediate the paths of laterally adjacent containers having supporting webs extending perpendicularly from the rear face of each plate and having provision for receiving screws therethrough, and vertically extending supports for said plates having provision for receiving said support-attaching screws therein whereby said wiping assemblies may be adjusted on said supports and reversed or interchanged in any adjusted position to produce the same wiping action.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said supporting webs is common to a pair of adjacent, transversely aligned plates.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said vertically extending supports has mounted thereon a vertically adjustable slide having a Web-engaging face normal to the aforesaid path of travel and inclined from the vertical toward the direction of travel of said containers, said slide having a clamping stud therein projecting normal to said face and said web being provided with an elongated stud receiving slot normal to the bristle supporting plate to permit adjustment of said plate on said stud both to container necks of different transverse dimen sions and to necks of diierent tapers, said web being oiset from the axis of symmetry of the plate by an amount equal to the thickness of the web, so that the axis of symmetry of two of said plates in clamped assembly will lie in the same plane.

CHARLES C. GERHARDT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 612,491 Eck Oct. 18, 1898 620,534 Beauregard et al. Feb. 28, i899 1,174,469 Beutlich Mar. 7, 1916 1,239,858 Woodland Sept. 11, 1917 1,317,389 Peterson Sept. 30, 1919 1,326,201 Johnson et al. Dec. 30, 1919 1,871,677 Ermold Aug. 16, 1932 2,118,527 Schmutzer et al. May 24, 1938 

